


Comfort in the Dark

by helloitskrisha



Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms, Phantom - Susan Kay
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Erik and Nadir Don't Know How to Talk About Their Feelings, Kissing, M/M, Oral Sex, a bit of humor, an au of that one scene from Kay's Phantom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:00:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24589480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helloitskrisha/pseuds/helloitskrisha
Summary: Nadir’s task was simple: deliver the Shah’s “gift” to the magician. He did not expect his night to take on a decidedly different turn.
Relationships: Erik | Phantom of the Opera/The Persian
Comments: 31
Kudos: 41





	Comfort in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this for a Tumblr prompt from Timebird84: "Hi :D ! From the prompt list: things you said with no space between us (Pharoga) - only if you want to, of course ;) .” This is basically what I wish had happened after *that one scene* in Kay's Phantom.

“ _You would truly rather die than lie with me_?”

Even through the mask, Nadir could read Erik’s emotions clearly. He could feel his anguish, the sting of the slave girl’s rejection evident in his eyes. When he had been tasked to deliver the magician’s special “gift,” he wanted to turn away, to yell that he wanted no part of this scheme, but he knew that he could not anger his majesty. Not if he wished to keep his life. After all, he knew that there was no greater honor for a favored servant than to be gifted a slave of the royal harem.

As he, along with a eunuch, led the girl to Erik’s apartment, he had envisioned many scenarios, all of which pained him to think about. He could not help the ache in his chest as he imagined Erik taking her, pleasuring himself within her, finding relief in her soft warmth. Though he tried to push these thoughts away, to simply be happy that this man who had been devoid of touch for so long will finally know the joys of the flesh, his mind would not give him peace.

Erik is his friend. Did he not want him to experience something that all men yearned for? Or was he hurt that _he_ would not be the one to bring Erik comfort in the dark?

What he did not expect was for the girl to refuse the Shah’s will and risk death rather than spend a single night in Erik’s bed.

He watched as she cowered away from Erik, clearly fearing his wrath. She knelt on the ground, head bowed and eyes closed, as though awaiting her execution. And as the deafening silence and unbearable tension hung in the air, Nadir could feel his heart pounding. He had seen the way Erik looked at her, how he assessed every inch and crevice of her exposed flesh, the hunger in his eyes barely concealed, a desire so overwhelming in its intensity. He wanted her, and Nadir feared that his rage at her refusal would get the better of him.

Instead, Erik turned away, clenching his fists as he growled, “ _Leave_.”

No one made a move. The girl only continued weeping, sobs growing louder and louder as she retreated into herself even further. Nadir felt a pang of sadness for her and Erik both. He never expected this, never wanted any of this to happen. And yet, here they were, trampled on by the will of a cruel master.

“Did you not hear me? Take her away!” Erik yelled again, “Tell the Shah that I’m _incapable_ of using this gift. Tell him whatever is necessary for her to receive no punishment.”

The eunuch turned to Nadir in confusion, and Nadir gestured for him to lead the sobbing girl away.

When the two were alone, the tension did not dissipate. The Daroga wanted to reach out and touch Erik’s shoulder, do anything that could bring him peace. But there was still anger in the masked man’s eyes, a searing hatred that made Nadir feel as though Erik blamed _him_ for what had transpired.

Erik poured himself a glass of arrack and glared at Nadir, “Why are you still here, Daroga? Leave me alone.”

Nadir did not move, “Erik…”

“Are you deaf, Daroga? I asked you to leave!”

Like a tree, Nadir planted his feet firmly into the ground, stubbornly refusing to turn away even as Erik towered over him. “I wish to talk to you first.”

At this, Erik scoffed, “What is there to talk about? I’ve always known that no one would ever want me. After all, who would wish to lie with a _corpse_? Spare me your pity and leave!”

“I’m not staying because of pity, Erik.”

A smirked formed on his thin, misshapen lips but his gaze remained as hard as steel. “Oh? Pray tell, then. Are you here to mock me, _torment_ me just like all the others? Is Erik just another monster for you to gawk at? I never knew you to be cruel.”

Rage arose within Nadir’s heart and he couldn’t keep himself from snapping, “For Allah’s sake, Erik, will you stop putting words in my mouth and actually listen? You are a fool if you think that I could ever see you as a monster!”

“Aren’t I a monster in your eyes, Daroga? You have seen the things that I can do. You have witnessed the horrors that I am capable of. _You_ are the fool if you don’t see the loathsome _beast_ before you.”

Silence once again filled the air. Erik turned away from him, shoulders hunched and shaking, his every muscle as tense as a tightly wound coil. It was the first time Nadir had ever seen him cry and it pained him to bear witness to it. The Angel of Death, feared by many, was gone and all he could see was this broken man standing before him, reduced to tears at the rejection of a woman.

And it was then that the Daroga closed the gap between them, standing so close that there was barely enough space for either of them to take a breath.

“You are a complicated man, Erik. I cannot pretend otherwise. But you are a _man_ , not a corpse, not a monster, not an Angel of Death. You are only a man and you deserve to be loved as one.”

For a moment, Erik was stunned into silence but then his gaze hardened once more and he spoke harshly, words full of undisguised venom, “ _Love_? Don’t mock me, Daroga. My own mother could not love me. How could I expect anyone else to?”

Nadir started pacing the room in frustration, “You ignorant, stubborn fool! How can you not _see it_? Why must you make me say the words out loud?”

“What are you going on about, you old Persian dolt?!”

“Oh, you are truly blind! I’ve never known such an oblivious genius!”

Before Erik could express his indignation, the Daroga grabbed him by the shoulders and drew him into a kiss. At first, Erik was as still as a statue, frozen in his shock. Nadir noticed his hesitation and began pulling away, but Erik drew closer, deepening the kiss.

“Daroga…” Erik whispered as they paused for air, “I don’t understand…”

Nadir silenced him with another kiss. He did not know how to answer him and did not want to think about it. All he understood at the moment was his overwhelming urge to touch, to _feel_. Nadir brought their lips together again, pushing Erik back until he was pressed against a wall. His hands sought to remove Erik’s cotton shirt and the other man stood there and let him.

Noticing how Erik was barely responding to him, he paused for a moment, “Erik, do you want me to stop?”

Erik released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, “No.”

Their bodies were pressed together so close that he could sense the heat emanating from Erik’s usually cold flesh. He felt Erik’s clothed hardness rubbing against him, and it made his own manhood twitch in anticipation.

“I can make you feel good if you wished it.”

From the Daroga’s lips, it sounded like a plea, a _prayer_. The weight of everything unspoken between them still hung in the air, but Nadir preferred it this way. He had always been a man who preferred speaking through his actions.

Erik nodded slowly, a mixture of need and apprehension in his eyes. Nadir moved to remove Erik’s trousers, gripping his heat, and a low moan sounded from the masked man’s lips. The Daroga continued his ministrations, stroking as he kissed his way from Erik’s neck down to his chest. He soon knelt, passing ribs and countless scars as his mouth found its way to Erik’s length.

A deep, gravelly rumble issued from Erik’s chest as Nadir claimed his hardness with his mouth.

Nadir had never lain with a man before. He had thought about it many times but never acted on his desires, especially not after his wife had died. He had loved her deeply and, whenever he even fleetingly entertained the idea of sleeping with another, it felt like he was dishonoring her memory. No matter how many times others would tell him to remarry or even simply find a lover, he would refuse out of respect to her. And when his son Reza died, his grief overwhelmed him, taking over his entire life.

All those years of abstinence as he wallowed in his loss and despair made him almost numb to sensation. But now, as he sucked at Erik’s sensitive flesh, savoring the taste of him in his mouth, hearing the other man’s impassioned moans, it felt _too much_. He palmed at his erection, feeling himself coming close to release simply from being so close to another person again.

“Don’t stop _now_ , Daroga,” Erik hissed, cupping the back of Nadir’s head with his large hand and pushing himself further in his mouth.

He almost choked as he took the whole of Erik’s considerable length but he let out a soft moan, making Erik shiver, sending pleasant vibrations throughout his entire body. The next few seconds were a blur of sensations as he rode out his climax while the delicious, forbidden taste of Erik’s flesh and sweat seared itself into his memory.

“Nadir,” Erik groaned as he thrust into his mouth, spilling his release, “ _Nadir_.”

As the two men pulled away, taking some time to catch their breaths, they could not look at each other in the eye. They had been friends for so long. Neither was sure of how to think of what had just transpired between them.

Erik was the one to break the silence. “Daroga… if you did this because you felt guilty about the girl…”

Nadir interrupted him with an exasperated sigh, “Oh, for Heaven’s sake, Erik! I did this for _me_. Because I _wanted_ to.”

A small, mischievous grin formed on Erik’s lips.

“In that case… You’re welcome, Nadir.”


End file.
